System and method for packaging a foam product

ABSTRACT

A system for packaging a foam product includes a first lateral compressor that applies pressure to a first lateral side of the foam product in a second lateral compressor that applies pressure to a second lateral side of the foam product so as to compress the foam product to a reduced width. The system also includes a roller device configured to roll the compressed foam product into a cylindrical packaged product.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is based on and claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/926,133 filed Jan. 20, 2014,the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Foam packaging systems and methods exist that roll foam products, suchas memory foam products, into a tubular shape for easier transport.However, such systems and methods do not laterally compress a foamproduct in order to reduce the width of the final packaged product.Thus, existing systems and methods yield a final packaged product havingthe same width as the original, pre-packaged product. At most, existingsystems and methods for packaging mattresses only offer verticalcompression of a product prior to rolling, and thus the final rolledproduct has a width that is equal to the uncompressed width of the foamproduct. These wide packaged products occupy too much space and aredifficult to transport, especially for an end user. For example, it isdifficult to fit a rolled king-size mattress in a sedan or a compactvehicle when the rolled package is 76 inches in width, the standardwidth of a king-size mattress.

Some packaging systems and methods are available that fold the foamproduct in order to reduce the width of the final packaged product. Forexample, some prior art systems and methods for packaging foammattresses fold the width of the mattress one or more times beforevertically compressing and rolling the mattress. Such folding isunacceptable for many foam products because it damages the foammaterial, such as by leaving permanent creases or divots.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a system for packaging a foam product includes afirst lateral compressor that applies pressure to a first lateral sideof the foam product in a second lateral compressor that applies pressureto a second lateral side of the foam product so as to compress the foamproduct to a reduced width. The system also includes a roller deviceconfigured to roll the compressed foam product into a cylindricalpackaged product.

An embodiment of a method of packaging a foam product includes receivinga foam product having a length, an uncompressed width, and anuncompressed depth. The foam product is laterally compressed to areduced width and vertically compressed to a reduced depth. Thecompressed foam product is then sealed in a first film to maintain thereduced width and the reduced depth.

One embodiment of a mattress packaging system comprises an infeedapparatus, a tamp apparatus, and a roller device. The infeed apparatusreceives a foam mattress and covers a top portion and a bottom portionof the foam mattress in a first film. The tamp apparatus compresses thefoam mattress and includes a first lateral compressor that appliespressure on a first lateral side of the foam mattress and a secondlateral compressor that applies pressure on a second lateral side of thefoam mattress to compress the foam mattress to a reduced width. The tampapparatus also includes a sealing mechanism that seals the film aroundthe compressed foam mattress to retain the reduced width. The rollerdevice rolls to compressed foam product into a cylindrical packagedproduct and wraps the cylindrical packaged product in a second film.

On embodiment of a cylindrical packaged product comprises a compressedfoam product rolled along its length to form a cylinder having a widthand a circumference. The compressed foam product has an uncompressedwidth that is laterally compressed to a reduced width and anuncompressed depth that is vertically compressed to a reduced depth. Thecylinder is wrapped in a film to retain a width and circumference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a depicts a one embodiment of a system for packaging a foamproduct.

FIG. 1 b depicts a top view of the system in FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 1 c depicts a side view of the system in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b.

FIG. 2 a depicts another embodiment of a system for packaging a foamproduct.

FIG. 2 b depicts a top view of the system in FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 3 a depicts a roller device for a system for packaging a foamproduct.

FIG. 3 b depicts a side, cross-sectional view of the roller device inFIG. 3 a.

FIG. 4 a depicts a side view of an embodiment of an portion of a systemfor packaging a foam product having an infeed film assembly.

FIG. 4 b depicts a schematic view of the infeed film assembly in theembodiment of FIG. 4 a.

FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of a method and system for packaging afoam product.

FIG. 6 depicts an uncompressed foam product next to a cylindricalpackaged product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present inventors have recognized that a system and method is neededfor packaging foam products that reduces the width of the final packagedproduct without folding or otherwise damaging the product. Bycompressing the foam product laterally, the size of the final packagedproduct is significantly reduced. The foam product may also bevertically compressed to further reduce the size of the final packagedproduct. Such compression can be accomplished without folding orotherwise damaging the foam material. For example, the present inventorsrecognize that foam products may be laterally, or horizontally,compressed by 40% or more prior to rolling the product, which results ina final rolled product having a significantly reduced width. As oneexample, a king-size memory foam mattress having a width of 76 inchesmay be compressed to a rolled package having a width of 40-42 incheswithout damaging the foam material. Further, some king-sized foammattress products may be compressed from a width of 76 inches to a widthof 30 inches or less without adversely impacting or degrading the foammaterial. The foam product may be any product containing foam that canbe laterally and/or vertically compressed and packaged in its compressedform without materially adversely impacting the form or quality of theproduct. For example, the foam product may be any bedding productcontaining foam, including a foam mattress, topper, or pillow, and mayalso be a foam mattress including coils. Likewise, the foam product maybe a furniture product, such as cushions or filler, or an automotiveproduct containing foam, such as automotive seating. In addition tofoam, the product may include springs and/or wire-forms. Furthermore,though the invention is described herein with respect to foam products,the inventors contemplate that the packaging systems and methods may beutilized for packaging similar products having foam-like qualities.

In embodiments of the present invention that include lateral compressionof the product 42, the product packaging system 70 also offers the addedbenefit of requiring less film to package the product 42. In anexemplary embodiment, if the product is laterally compressed by 40%, thepackaging process will consume about 40% less film versus packaging theuncompressed foam product. In another embodiment, the product iscompressed by 50% or more and may consume 50% or less film versus theuncompressed foam product. Depending on the shape of the product,vertically compressing the product will also save on the amount of filmconsumed in packaging the product.

FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, and 1 c depict one embodiment of a product packagingsystem 70 capable of packaging a compressible foam product 42 of a broadrange of sizes. For example, the packaging system may package foamproducts 42 ranging in size from a few cubic inches to several hundredthousand cubic inches. Product packaging system 70 includes an infeedsystem 11, which includes an infeed conveyor 1 that brings the foamproduct 42 into the system 70, a pusher assembly 2 that moves the foamproduct 42 through the infeed system 70, and an infeed film assembly 3.The exemplary system 70 of FIGS. 1 a-1 c further comprises a tampapparatus 5 including a first lateral compressor (which in thisembodiment is the pusher assembly 2) and a second lateral compressor 4configured to apply pressure on the lateral sides of the foam product 42in order to laterally compress the foam product 42 to a reduced width.The system 70 also includes roller device 9 that rolls the foam product42 into a cylindrical packaged product 30.

Infeed conveyor 1 may receive a foam product 42 that is manually fedinto the conveyor. Alternatively, infeed conveyor 1 may be attached toan assembly system, such as a conveyor system that brings the productfrom another area of manufacturing into infeed conveyor 1. A pusherassembly 2 may be positioned at the exterior side of the infeed conveyor1 to receive the product and guide the foam product 42 into position inproduct packaging system 70. Turning to FIG. 1 b, a top view of theproduct packaging system highlights certain features of the exemplaryembodiment depicted therein. In FIG. 1 b, the pusher assembly is in anoutermost position and acts as a guide to align the foam product 42 asit enters the packaging system 70 on the infeed conveyor 1 and toprevent the product from falling off side 1 c of the conveyor. Whenproduct 42 comes in at a front end 1 a of infeed conveyor 1, infeedconveyor 1 moves the product toward back end 1 b of the infeed conveyor1. During that process, pusher assembly 2 is aligned with, or near, sideedge 1 c of infeed conveyor 1 (the position of the pusher assembly 2 inFIG. 1). Once product 42 is fully received inside packaging system 70,pusher assembly 2 slides along track 39 of pusher assembly 2 to pushproduct 42 toward tamp apparatus 5.

In one embodiment, pusher assembly 52 is a bar that extends betweentracks 39, wherein tracks 39 run above infeed conveyor 1 andperpendicularly to the motion of infeed conveyor 1. A plate or fingersmay extend downward from the bar contact the product 42 laying on theinfeed conveyor 1. In another embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 c, pusherassembly 2 has a plate 40 that pushes product 42 toward tamp apparatus5. Additionally, in the embodiment of FIG. 1 c plate 40 is connected toan extender 37 that extends plate 40 forward toward tamp apparatus 5 topush the product 42 the final distance between the infeed system 11 andthe tamp apparatus 5.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4, infeed film assembly 3 provides film 47to cover the foam product 42 in the first stage of packaging. Infeedfilm assembly 3 supplies a top film feed 12 and a bottom film feed 13that are adhered together into a unified sheet, or curtain, of film 47.Once the product is fed into packaging system 70, pusher assembly 2pushes the product into the curtain of film 47 such that the productbecomes at least partially covered by the film 47. Pusher assembly 2continues to push the product, which is now at least partially coveredby the film 47, into tamp apparatus 5.

In one embodiment, pusher assembly 2 includes a plate configured to pushthe product out of the infeed system 11 and into the tamp assembly 5.For example, the pusher assembly 2 may have a plate 40 (FIG. 1 c) thatcontacts foam product 42 and moves it toward tamp apparatus 5. Plate 40may be connected to tracks 39 that move pusher assembly 2 from itsinitial position, where it accepts incoming foam product 42 on theinfeed conveyor, to a position at a front side 22 or an interior portionof the tamp assembly 5. In one embodiment, pusher assembly 2 pushes thefoam product 42 up against lateral compressor 4. In another embodiment,the pusher assembly 2 pushes the product to front side 22 of the tampapparatus 5 and lateral compressor 4 then extends towards the pusherassembly 2. In still other embodiments, both the pusher assembly 2 andthe lateral compressor 4 move towards one another to contact the foamproduct 42.

Once the foam product 42 has been pushed into the tamp apparatus 5product 42 is then laterally compressed, either by moving lateralcompressor 4 towards pusher assembly 2, or vice versa. Thereby, foamproduct 42 is compressed between pusher assembly 2 (acting as a firstlateral compressor) and lateral compressor 4 (acting as a second,opposing, lateral compressor). For example, the pusher device 2 may movetowards the lateral compressor 4 to apply pressure to first lateral side54 of the foam product to press the product against lateral compressor4, which acts on second lateral side 55 of the foam product 42.Alternatively, lateral compressor 4 and pusher assembly 2 maysimultaneously move towards one another to laterally compress the foamproduct 42. In the depicted embodiments, pusher assembly 2 acts as alateral compressor that cooperates with the lateral compressor 4 tocompress the foam product 42. In other embodiments, the pusher assembly2 may act only to move the foam product 42 into the tamp assembly, andthe compression may be performed by a separate device that cooperateswith the lateral compressor 4.

If the foam product 42 is to be vertically compressed, the top verticalcompressor 14 is then lowered down onto the laterally compressedproduct. The top vertical compressor 14 presses on the top side 56 ofthe foam product 42 to compress the product against the bottom verticalcompressor 15, which acts on the bottom side 57 of the foam product inorder to complete the vertical compression. In various embodiments, thefoam product 42 may be vertically compressed prior to, simultaneouslywith, or after the lateral compression.

The vertical and lateral compression performed by the tamp apparatus 5may be controlled by various control systems and methods. For example,the tamp apparatus 5 may apply a predefined lateral force to laterallycompress foam product 42 and/or predefined vertical force to verticallycompress foam product 42. For example, tamp apparatus 5 may apply about6,000 lbs. of force to laterally compress product 42 and about 18,000lbs. of force to vertically compress product 42. More specifically, thelateral compressor 4 and/or the pusher assembly 2 may laterally compressproduct 42 using 6,000 lbs. of force, and vertical compressor 14 mayvertically compress product 42 with 18,000 lbs. of force. In anotherembodiment, the tamp apparatus 5 may compress foam product 42 to apredefined size, such as to a particular vertical and horizontaldimension, or by a predefined amount, such as to a certain percentage ofits original size. In still other embodiments, the tamp apparatus 5 maybe controlled to alternatively compress the foam product 42 to apredefined size (or by a predefined amount) or to apply a predeterminedmaximum vertical and/or lateral force on the foam product 42, which everis reached first. For example, the lateral compressor 4 and/or thepusher assembly 2 may laterally compress product 42 until a maximum of6,000 lbs. of force is reached or until the product is compressed to aparticular lateral width, whichever is first. In one such embodiment,one or more load cells may be placed on the lateral compressor 4 and/orthe pusher assembly 2 to sense the force applied on the foam product 42.In an alternative embodiment, one or more motors driving lateralcompressor 4, pusher assembly 2, top vertical compressor 14 and/orbottom vertical compressor 15 may be equipped with load detectors tosense the load felt by the motor(s). For example, an encoder may beplaced on the motor(s) to determine the pulse rate and current draw forthat motor. The force applied to the foam product 42 can then bedetermined based on the load felt by the motor(s).

Foam product 42 is at least partially covered in film 47 as it enterstamp apparatus 5. Once product 42 is fully compressed, both verticallyand laterally (or horizontally), the film 47 may be sealed around theproduct in an air tight manner so that the product retains itscompressed shape. Prior to sealing, the infeed film assembly 3 may pullthe film 47 taut to remove any wrinkles or bulges from the film 47 priorto sealing. Compressed and sealed product 42 is then pushed out of tampapparatus 5 by exit pusher 6. The exit pusher assembly may include a barthat extends across the length of the product near the outside edge ofthe tamp apparatus 5. Like the pusher assembly 2, the exit pusher 6 mayrun on a track 46 that forces the exit pusher 6 to push the compressedand sealed product towards transfer conveyor 7. In such an embodiment,exit pusher 6 pushes on the compressed and sealed product to pushproduct 42 onto transfer conveyor 7 and towards roller device 9. Inother embodiments, such as the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b,transfer conveyor 7 may be eliminated and roller device 9 may bepositioned immediately adjacent to tamp apparatus 5 such that product 42is pushed by exit pusher 6 directly into roller device 9.

In the embodiments in FIGS. 1-4, compressed and sealed foam product 42is fed into roller device 9 by transfer conveyor 7. Roller device 9winds compressed and sealed foam product 42 along its length (the centerof the rolled product runs parallel to its width) such that rolled foamproduct 42 has a reduced width W′ that is approximately equal to thecompressed width of foam product 42 (FIG. 6). Foam product 42 is rolledaround itself into a tightly wound roll, or cylindrical shape. FIGS. 3 aand 3 b depict roller device 9 having rolling bars 32, rotated by rollcage motors 16 that force the compressed and sealed foam product 42 towrap around itself in a spiral-like form. For example, the roll cagemotors 16 may be 5-7 horsepower motors. In FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, product 42enters roller device 9 from the bottom side of the roller cage androller device 9 rolls the product upwards and counter clockwise (fromthe perspective shown in these figures) during the roll process, meaningthat rolling bars 32 rotate in a the opposite direction. In otherembodiments, roller bars 32 force the foam product 42 to roll in theopposite direction. In some embodiments, it may be necessary to placeholes in the tail end of the film 47 as the tail end of the compressedproduct enters roller device 9 so that excess air can escape during therolling process.

The rolled product may be covered in a second film 48 acting to retainthe compressed size and rolled shape of cylindrical packaged product 30.The second film 48 may be applied during the roll process or aftercompletion of the roll process. In the exemplary embodiment of theroller device 9 depicted in FIGS. 3 a-3 b, compressed and sealed product42 passes through a second film 48 as it enters the roller device 9. Inan exemplary embodiment, a second film roll 53 is housed above or belowroller device 9 and dispenses the second film 48. A curtain of secondfilm 48 is formed at the entrance of the roller device 9. In thedepicted embodiment, clamp 43 grabs the second film 48 and stretches thesecond film 48 across the entrance opening of the roller device 9.Curtain motor 18 operates to open and close the clamp 43 and to move theclamp 43 vertically. More specifically, a curtain of second film 48 isformed by curtain motor 18 moving the clamp 43 down towards the secondfilm roll 53 (see FIG. 3 b). The curtain motor 18 operates the clamp 43to grab the second film 48 and then to bring the film up, covering atleast a portion of the entrance opening of the roller device 9. Whenfoam product 42 enters the roller device 9, the film 48 adheres to thefront edge of the product 42. The curtain motor 18 opens the clamp 43 torelease the film 48. Then, as the foam product 42 is forced further intoroller device 9 the second film 48 is continually unrolled so that thefilm extends beyond the length of the foam product 42. The second film48 is rolled with product 42 as it rolls onto itself. Once product 42 isentirely rolled, the second film 48 continues to be fed by curtain motor18 of roll film dispensing unit 8 such that the film 48 continues towrap around the product 42. In some embodiments, the second film 48 isheld taut in order to assist in tightly rolling the foam product 42 intoa cylindrical shape. In this way, it is possible to vary the diameter dof the cylindrical packaged product 30 by varying the tension on thesecond film 48. Once the foam product 42 is completely rolled into acylindrical packaged product 30, the roller device 9 may continue toturn the product 42, for example two to five more complete turns, towrap the second film 48 around the cylindrical packaged product 30 inorder to retain the shape and size of the cylindrical packaged product30. Once the cylindrical packaged product 30 is wrapped in second film48, the second film roll 43 stops feeding the second film 48. In someembodiments, the second film 48 stretched and broken as the cylindricalpackaged product 30 continues to roll in the roller device 9. In otherembodiments, the second film 48 is cut.

Once the roll process is complete, cylindrical packaged product 30 isthen pushed out of roller device 9 through exit hatch 34 in the backthereof. In FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, exit hatch 34 is connected to a portionof rolling bars 32 such that when exit hatch 34 opens, a portion ofrolling bars 32 move with exit hatch 34 so as to open roller device 9and expel cylindrical packaged product 30. For example, air cylinders 20(FIG. 1 a-1 b) may be attached to exit hatch 34 and operate to open andclose exit hatch 34 such that the packaged product can be expelled fromroller cage assembly 9. Air cylinders 20 contract to open exit hatch 34,and then expand to close exit hatch 34. A transfer conveyor 10 may bepositioned below exit hatch 34 so that cylindrical packaged product 30may fall onto transfer conveyor 10 when it exits roller device 9.Transfer conveyor 10 may take the form of any device capable ofreceiving the cylindrical packaged product 30. For example, FIGS. 1 a-1c depict a narrow transfer conveyor 10 that carries cylindrical packagedproduct 30 in a direction perpendicular to roller cage 9. In otherembodiments, transfer conveyor 10 may be another transporting device ormay be a final packaging device that places additional packagingmaterials on cylindrical packaged product 30, such as a box, a bag, orties to secure the rolled shape and size.

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b depict another embodiment of packaging system 70. Theembodiment of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b has a reduced footprint as compared tothe embodiment of FIGS. 1 a-1 c. The foam product 42 enters the infeedsystem 11 at input end 41. The product is inputted into the input end 41such that the length 1 of the foam product 42 is oriented perpendicularto the infeed direction. The foam product 42 is then covered at leastpartially in film 47 and pushed into the tamp apparatus 5 where it iscompressed as disclosed herein. Once compressed, either laterally orvertically or both, and sealed in film 47 to retain the compressed widthand/or depth, the foam product is fed directly into the roller device 9.

While an unpackaged, uncompressed foam product 42 is conveyed intopackaging system 70 on infeed conveyor 1, infeed film assembly 3 createsa curtain of first film 47 that will be overlaid on uncompressed foamproduct 42. FIGS. 1 a-1 c depict one embodiment of an infeed system 11,and FIGS. 2 a, 2 b, 4 a and 4 b depict another embodiment of an infeedsystem 11. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 a-1 c, top film feed 12 andbottom film feed 13 are fed around infeed conveyor system 1 and meet ata point between infeed conveyor 1 and tamp apparatus 5. Morespecifically, the top film feed 12 may be fed around top roller 74 andthe bottom film feed may be fed around bottom roller 75. The top andbottom rollers 74 and 75 may be nip-pull rollers capable of grabbing androlling the film 47 in both the forward and back directions. Further,top dancer system 77 controls the top film feed 12 and a bottom dancersystem 78 that controls the bottom film feed 13. The dancers 77 and 78may each have a bar that applies weight to apply pressure to the filmfeeding there through in order to keep the top and bottom film feeds 12and 13 taut. Top film feed 12 and bottom film feed 13 are connected at aseam 99 by the seamer 67. In one embodiment, the film 47 may be apolyethylene film and seamer 67 may be a heat sealer that connects topand bottom film feeds 12 and 13 by melting the edges of the two filmstogether. Alternatively, seamer 67 may be any means known in the art forconnecting top and bottom film feeds 12 and 13, including an applicatorof tape or glue. In still another embodiment, the material of top andbottom film feeds 12 and 13 may be self-adhering, and seamer 67 maypress the two film portions together to cause them to adhere to oneanother.

The seamer 67 may be positioned at the location where the top film feed12 and the bottom film feed 13 meet together along the path of the filmcurtain. In a different embodiment depicted in FIG. 4 a, the seamer 67is provided next to the sealing mechanism 52 such that the top andbottom films may be connected together during the packaging cycle of theprevious mattress. For example, top and bottom film feeds 12 and 13 maybe sealed simultaneously with each lengthwise seal step 63 (FIG. 5). Inthat embodiment, at step 63 a two lengthwise seals are made along length49 of compressed product 42, one by seamer 67 and the other by sealingmechanism 52. For example, the seamer 67 and the sealing mechanism 52may be two parallel heat bars, or seal bars, pressed on to the film 47.A cut may be made between the two seals such that one seal comprises theseal around the compressed product 42 and the other seal forms the sealfor the film 47 curtain that will be used in the next product packagingcycle. In another embodiment, the two lengthwise seams, or seals, may beseparated by a hotwire between the seamer 67 and the sealing mechanism52 that severs the film 47 between the two seals. Then, the infeed filmassembly 3 pulls the sealed curtain or film 47 back so that the film 47curtain is in place for the next packaging cycle.

In various embodiments, the first film 47 applied to seal the compressedfoam product 42 and the second film 48 applied to the cylindricalpackaged product 30 may be the same film material or may be differentmaterials. For example, the first film 47 may be a 3 millimeter thickpoly film, such as a polyethylene material or a nylon-based material. Inother embodiments, the first film 47 may be thicker or thinner,depending on the amount of force needed to retain the compressed size ofthe compressed foam product 42. For example, where the compressed foamproduct 42 is flat packed rather than rolled, the first film may be athicker film, such as a 6 millimeter film, so that it can maintain thecompressed dimensions over a long period of time. The second film 48 maybe a thinner poly film, such as a 2.5 millimeter film, that is designedto stretch along its length and have significant strength in itslengthwise direction. The second film 48 may also be a poly film withclinging properties, such as a clinging stretch wrap, so that it clingsto the foam product 42 during the roll process and clings to itself inorder to securely contain the cylindrical packaged product 30 withoutthe need for any additional packaging. For example, the second film 48may be a stretch wrap material, such as a casted film with high clingproperties and significant stretch ability. In one embodiment, the clingstretch wrap may stretch 2.5 times its original length before breaking.In other embodiments, however, the film covering the cylindricalpackaged product 30 may not be sufficiently self-adhering and thecylindrical packaged product 30 may be covered in additional packagingto retain the final shape thereof.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 a-2 b and 4 a-4 b, the infeed film assembly3 may be oriented on the top and bottom of the infeed system 11 to forma curtain of film 47 in the infeed system 11. The infeed film assemblyincludes a top feed assembly 95, which includes top film roll 86positioned on the top of infeed system 11, and bottom feed assembly 97,which includes bottom film roll 88 positioned on the bottom of infeedsystem 11. Top film roll 86 feeds top film feed 12 and bottom film roll88 feeds bottom film feed 13. The infeed film assembly 3 is depictedschematically in FIG. 4 b. In the top feed assembly 95 the film 47extends from top film roll 86, winds through top nip-pull rolls 90 andover airbar 93 to top film feed 12. The bottom feed assembly 97 has film47 extending from bottom film roll 88, winding through bottom nip-pullrolls 92, and feeding upwards as bottom film feed 13 extends to top filmfeed 12. The nip-pull rolls 90 and 92 may alternately wind in bothrotational directions so as to feed film 47 forward or pull film 47backward. In on embodiment, the nip-pull rolls 90 and 92 may be closedtogether in order to pinch, or grab, the film 47. This may provideadditional control over the film 47 in order to force the film 47 in aforward or backwards direction. For example, the nip-pull rolls 90 and92 may be able to pull the film 47 back with significant force in orderto apply additional compression force on the foam product 42. The airbar93, which could also bee included in the bottom feed assembly, acts todistance the top film feed 12 from the nip-pull rolls 90 so as to keepthe film 47 from sticking to itself or getting tangled in the nip-pullrolls 90. The top and bottom film feeds 12 and 13 are connected togetherby the seamer 67 as described herein to form a seam 99.

Once the film 47 curtain is created, uncompressed foam product 42 ispushed into the film 47 curtain such that the film 47 curtain wrapsaround first lateral side 54 of the product 42. As the product 42continues to be pushed into tamp apparatus 5, it pulls the film 47curtain along with it. Top film feed 12 and bottom film feed 13 may besevered when the film 47 covering the mattress reaches an appropriatelength. In another embodiment, the film 47 may not be severed untilduring or after the film 47 is sealed around the compressed product 42,as explained above. The film 47 may be severed by any means known in theart, for example by a knife or serrated teeth. Uncompressed foam product42, which is at least partially covered in the film 47, is then pushedagainst lateral compressor 4.

The infeed film assembly 3 then positions the film 47 in place for thenext product 42 that enters packaging system 70. In an embodiment wherethe film 47 has been cut and top and bottom pieces 12 and 13 are notsealed, the film assembly 3 feeds top film feed 12 and bottom film feed13 towards one another to create a new curtain. In an embodiment wheretop and bottom pieces are sealed during the lengthwise sealing step 63,the infeed film assembly 3 may pull the film 47 back so that a tautcurtain is formed around the infeed system 11. For example, in theembodiment of FIGS. 4 a and 4 b, top and bottom feed assemblies 95 and97 may include nip-pull rollers 90 and 92 capable of pulling the film 47back after top and bottom film feeds 12 and 13 have been sealedtogether. Likewise, those nip-pull rollers 90 and 92, may also act toroll the film 47 forward or back to maintain the correct tautness on thefilm 47 during the infeed, compression, and sealing processes.

As seen in FIGS. 1 a-1 c, infeed film assembly 3 may have backup topfilm rolls 25 and backup bottom film rolls 26 that may be automaticallyused by infeed film assembly 3 when the current film roll is empty. Inone embodiment a motion sensor detects motion in each of top and bottomfilm rolls feeding the top and bottom film feeds 12 and 13. When themotion of one or more of the film rolls stops during a feed period thenthe system determines that the film roll is empty and needs to bechanged. At that point, the infeed film assembly 3 takes the next backuptop film roll 25 or the next backup bottom film roll 26 and grabs thelead edge of film 47 on that roll. The lead edge of the next roll isconnected to the tail end of the previous roll such that a continuousfilm 47 sheet is created. The lead edge and the tail end may beconnected by any means known in the art, including heat sealed, taped,glued etc. Preferably, the connection between the lead edge and the tailend is an airtight seal so that the connected film portion can be usedto create an airtight package around the compressed mattress. It shouldbe understood that other embodiments may not have an infeed film system3 and may not seal the compressed foam product in film 47 prior torolling the foam product.

FIG. 5 demonstrates one embodiment of a method executed by productpackaging system 70, and primarily by tamp apparatus 5, for compressinga product 42. At step 58 the film 47 is in position, for example the topfilm feed 12 is connected at seam 99 to the bottom film feed 13 asdescribed above to form a curtain of film 47. Foam product 42 is inposition, for example on infeed conveyor 1, and is ready to be pushedthrough the film 47. At step 59, foam product 42 is pushed through thefilm 47 so that the film covers at least a portion thereof. The infeedfilm assembly 3 acts to feed film 47 into the system so that foamproduct 42 moves into the tamp apparatus 5 and is covered on top andbottom with film 47. Foam product 42 is further pushed against secondlateral compressor 45. At 60, first lateral compressor 44 presses foamproduct 42 against second lateral compressor 45 to laterally compressit. In this embodiment, second lateral compressor 45 is a stationarywall or plate and first lateral compressor 44 moves towards secondlateral compressor 45 to perform the compression action. In otherembodiments, the second lateral compressor 45 may also move towards thefirst lateral compressor 44 to perform the compression action.

At step 61, foam product 42 is vertically compressed, for example, bytop vertical compressor 14 of tamp apparatus 5. Foam product 42, havingbeen compressed, now easily fits inside the film 47 and the film 47 canbe sealed around compressed product 42. To do that, at step 62, firstlateral compressor 44 is retracted. Immediately thereafter, step 63 isexecuted wherein length 49 of the top and bottom layers of the film 47are sealed together to maintain the lateral compression of the product42. At step 64, front side 50 of the top and bottom layers of the film47 are sealed together, and at step 65 back side 51 of the top andbottom layers of the film 47 are sealed together. Thereby, all foursides of the film 47 are sealed in an air tight manner such that thecompressed width and compressed depth of product 42 are retained. Thesealing may be performed in any manner known in the art, including heatsealing, gluing, taping, etc. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 b, asealing mechanism 52 may be mounted on each side of the verticalcompressor 14 such that, after the vertical compression step, the film47 may be sealed around each side of the compressed foam product 42. Thesealing mechanism 52 may be attached to or part of the top verticalcompressor 14, or it may be a separate mechanism that operates at theedges of the foam product 42, such as adjustable heat bars that adjustto the size of the compressed foam product 42 and act to melt the film47 at the seal points. The sealing mechanism 52 may alternatively be anydevice capable of sealing the film 47 around the compressed foam product42. For example, the sealing mechanism 52 may blow hot air on the film47 or may apply tape or glue to adhere the film 47 to itself. Inembodiments where the film 47 has self-adhering properties, the sealingmechanism 52 may press the top and bottom film layers together to form aseal around the compressed product 42. The compressed and sealed foamproduct 42 is then forced out of tamp apparatus 5 by exit pusher 6.

In other embodiments, product 42 may be covered in film by anothermethod, such as wrapping the product in stretch wrap. In such anembodiment, the stretch wrap may be configured around product 42 in itsuncompressed state such that the stretch wrap allows air to escapeduring the compression process, but prevents air from re-entering theproduct 42 after the compression process. In still other embodiments,product 42 may enter the compression process without any film orwrapper, and the film 47 or wrapper may be applied onto the product oncethe product is already compressed. For example, the compressed productmay be wrapped in stretch wrap such that the compressed size of product42 is maintained. In still other embodiments a vacuum may be used toremove air from the wrapped product 42 prior to sealing. In still otherembodiments, the compressed product may not be sealed in film at all andmay be fed directly into the roller device 9, where it may be rolled toform a cylindrical packaged product 30 that is packaged to maintain itssize and shape, such as wrapped in second film 48 as disclosed above.

In yet another embodiment, tamp assembly 5 may only laterally compressproduct 42 and not vertically compress product 42. The laterallycompressed product may then be passed to the roller device 9, whereinfeed rollers may be positioned to vertically compress the product 42as it enters the roller device 9. In embodiments wherein lateralcompression of the product 42 is performed, product packaging system 70offers the added benefit of consuming less film 47 and of providing asmaller package width. However, in still other embodiments, tampapparatus 5 may not perform any lateral compression at all, such thatproduct 42 is only vertically compressed and the film 47 is sealedaround the vertically compressed product. In such an embodiment, thefilm 47 must be large enough to cover the entire uncompressed foamproduct 42 as it comes into the tamp apparatus 5 because the product 42will not be laterally compressed in order to fit into a smaller sizefilm 47.

As described herein, product 42 is compressed and sealed and pushed outof tamp apparatus 5. In one embodiment, the compressed and wrappedproduct 42 may be sent to the roller device 9 via the transfer conveyor7. In an alternative embodiment, the compressed and wrapped product 42may be exposed to a heating apparatus designed to further shrink thefilm 47 sealed around product 42. More specifically, film 47 may be aplastic film that shrinks in size, in the lateral and/or verticaldirections, when exposed to heat. For example, film 47 may shrink insize up to 60% when exposed to temperatures between 200° F. and 300° F.To achieve such shrinking, system 70 may include any heating devicecapable of heating at least a portion of film 47 on product 42. Forexample, the heating device may be a heat tunnel or an oven placed atthe exit end of tamp apparatus 5. In another embodiment, the heatingdevice may be integrated into tamp apparatus 5, such as heating elementsintegrated into the top vertical compressor 14. In an embodiment wherethe heating device is integrated into the tamp apparatus 5, theshrinking step may occur simultaneously with the compression and sealingsteps represented in FIG. 5. Such shrinking may act to remove any slackfrom the film 47 wrapped around the compressed product 42. Furthermore,such shrinking may stabilize and further seal the film 47 wrapped aroundthe compressed product 42 such that the film 47 can maintain thecompressed size of the product 42 for months or years without needingfurther reinforcement from additional packaging materials. In such anembodiment, the compressed product 42 may be flat-packed instead ofrolled. Thus, the system 70 may not contain a roller device 9, and thecompressed product 42 may be pushed out of the tamp apparatus 5 onto aflat-packing apparatus, or onto a conveyor system that leads to aflat-packing apparatus.

FIG. 6 provides a comparison between an exemplary, uncompressed foamproduct 42 and a final cylindrical packaged product 30. While therepresentative foam product 42 in FIG. 6 is depicted as rectangular inshape, foam product 42 may take on any shape and may be comprised of anyfoam capable of being compressed as described herein. The unpackagedproduct 42 in FIG. 6 may be, for example, a foam mattress, such as aking size foam mattress. The unpackaged product 42 has a width W, andthe cylindrical packaged product 30 has a width of W′. In the exemplaryembodiment of a king size foam mattress, the foam mattress may have awidth W of around 76 inches, a length L around 80 inches, and a depth Dranging from 7 to 16 inches. Employing one exemplary embodiment of theproduct packaging system 70 and method described herein, the exemplaryking mattress can be compressed and rolled into a cylindrical packagedproduct 30 having a width W′ of about 40-42 inches and a diameter d of13-17 inches. In such an embodiment, tamp apparatus 5 laterallycompresses the foam product 42 to a reduced width of 40-42 inches andvertically compresses the product to a reduced depth of 0.8 to 2 inches.In other embodiments, the width and depth of the exemplary king foammattress may be compressed to a size that is slightly smaller or largerin order to fit desired requirements.

The inventors recognized that a foam product 42 can typically becompressed to a reduced depth that is approximately ⅛^(th) itsuncompressed height and a reduced width that is approximately ½ itsuncompressed width without damaging the foam material. However,depending on the type of foam material, in some embodiments the foamproduct may be compressed to less than ⅛^(th) its original size. In someembodiments, foam products may be compressed to 1/15^(th) their originalsize or smaller. The maximum compressions factor that can beaccomplished without materially damaging the foam product is based onthe properties of the material(s) comprising the foam product, includingthe density, weight, and elasticity of the foam, as well as the volumeof the foam and the surrounding conditions, such as temperature andhumidity. The present inventors also recognize that at a certaincompression point there is an inverse relationship between the maximumlateral compression factor and the maximum vertical compression factorthat can be achieved without damaging the foam material. In order toachieve the smallest possible width W′ of cylindrical packaged product30, the diameter d of cylindrical packaged product 30 will have to beincreased from its minimum compressed size in order to avoid damagingthe foam material. Likewise, in order to achieve a final package 30 witha smaller diameter, the width W′ may need to be increased from itsminimum size.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the inventionis designed by the claims, and may include other examples that occur tothose skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be withinthe scope of the claims if they have structural elements and/or methodsteps that to not differ from the literal language of the claims, or ifthey include equivalent structural elements and/or method steps withinsubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for packaging a foam product, the systemcomprising: a first lateral compressor that applies pressure to a firstlateral side of the foam product and a second lateral compressor thatapplies pressure to a second lateral side of the foam product tocompress the foam product to a reduced width; and a roller deviceconfigured to roll the compressed foam product into a cylindricalpackaged product.
 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a topvertical compressor that applies pressure to a top side of the foamproduct and a bottom vertical compressor that applies pressure to abottom side of the foam product to a reduced depth prior to rolling. 3.The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the first lateralcompressor, the second lateral compressor, the top vertical compressor,or the bottom vertical compressor is controlled to apply no more than apredefined maximum force to the foam product.
 4. The system of claim 1wherein the roller device wraps the cylindrical packaged product in afilm to retain its cylindrical shape and size.
 5. The system of claim 4further comprising an infeed film assembly that covers a top portion anda bottom portion of the foam product in a film prior to compressing theproduct.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the infeed film systemcomprises a top film roll supplying a top film feed, a bottom film rollsupplying a bottom film feed, and a seamer to connect the top film feedto the bottom film feed.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the film iscomprised of polyethylene and the seamer is a heat bar that melts thetop film feed to the bottom film feed.
 8. A method of packaging a foamproduct, the method comprising: receiving a foam product having alength, an uncompressed width, and an uncompressed depth; laterallycompressing the foam product to a reduced width; vertically compressingthe foam product to a reduced depth; and sealing the compressed foamproduct in a first film to maintain the reduced width and the reduceddepth.
 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising rolling thecompressed foam product along its length to form a cylindrical packagedproduct.
 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising wrapping thecylindrical packaged product in a second film to retain its shape andsize.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first film is comprised ofa polyethylene material and the second film comprised of a casted polyfilm with high cling properties.
 12. The method of claim 8 furthercomprising covering a top portion and a bottom portion of the foamproduct in the film prior to compressing the foam product, wherein thefilm has a width that is less than the uncompressed width of the foamproduct; and wherein the reduced width of the compressed foam product isless than the width of the film.
 13. The method of claim 8 wherein thestep of sealing comprises applying heat to the film around thecompressed foam product.
 14. The method of claim 13 further comprisingpulling film taut prior to sealing.
 15. The method of claim 8 whereinthe reduced width is no more than 70 percent of the uncompressed width.16. The method of claim 13 wherein the reduced width is no more than 60percent of the uncompressed width.
 17. The method of claim 8 wherein thestep of laterally compressing is controlled to apply no more than apredetermined maximum lateral force on the foam product, and the step ofvertically compressing is controlled to apply no more than apredetermined maximum vertical force on the foam product.
 18. A mattresspackaging system comprising: an infeed apparatus that receives a foammattress and covers a top portion and a bottom portion of the foammattress in a first film; a tamp apparatus that compresses the foammattress, the tamp apparatus comprising: a first lateral compressor thatapplies pressure on a first lateral side of the foam mattress and asecond later compressor that applies pressure on a second lateral sideof the foam mattress to compress the foam mattress to a reduced width; asealing mechanism that seals the film around the compressed foammattress to retain the reduced width; a roller device that rolls thecompressed foam product into a cylindrical packaged product and wrapsthe cylindrical packaged product in a second film.
 19. The mattresspackaging system of claim 18 wherein the tamp apparatus furthercomprises a first vertical compressor that applies pressure on a topside of the foam product and a second vertical compressor that appliespressure on a bottom side of the foam product to a reduced depth priorto rolling.
 20. The mattress packaging system of claim 18 wherein thesealing mechanism is one or more heat bars.
 21. A cylindrical packagedproduct, the packaged product comprising: a compressed foam productrolled along its length to form a cylinder having a width and acircumference, the compressed foam product having an uncompressed widththat is laterally compressed to a reduced width and an uncompresseddepth that is vertically compressed to a reduced depth; and the cylinderwrapped in a film to retain the width and the circumference.
 22. Thecylindrical packaged product of claim 21 further comprising thecompressed foam product being contained in a film to maintain thereduced width and the reduced depth.
 23. The cylindrical packagedproduct of claim 21 wherein the width of the cylindrical packagedproduct is approximately equal to the reduced width of the compressedfoam product.
 24. The packaged product of claim 23 wherein the reducedwidth no more than 70 percent of the uncompressed width.